Notebooks, pencils, new clothes, backpacks -- chances are your to-do list doesn’t include items for your home. While supplies for school are necessary, giving your child the tools to continue learning at home are just as important. Redesign your growing kid’s bedroom into a place where they can study and learn responsibility.
A maturing kid's bedroom is no longer just a place to sleep and store toys -- it becomes their home within the home. Revamp your child's space into a room where they can study, learn and grow. Here are our top five bedroom redesign tips to help you meet your growing kid's needs.
Bye-bye baby stuff
That set of blocks your kid's had since he was teething. The character-covered comforter your child begged you to buy when she was five. To you, these items are part of who your child is -- but to your kid they're reminders of the baby they no longer are. As kids hit grade school, it's time to put those pre-school playthings in storage and create a room that'll last your child for years to come.
Go with basic bedding and decorations in solid colors or generic prints that can be paired with any number of your child's shifting fads without a lot of expensive redecorating.
Yes, your child can get their homework done at the kitchen table, but a desk set aside for studying places an importance on schoolwork. Placing the desk in your child's bedroom gives kids a sense of responsibility over their assignments and the privacy they need to get it done on their own.
Select desks with a design style that complements the bedroom set and functionality that will grow with your child's needs. Young children may not need a desk with a pullout keyboard tray or file drawers now, but the features will come in handy during the teen years.
As many moms know, morning power struggles over what to wear often reach epic levels. Standard closets are often too high for smaller children to access, while clothing stacked neatly in dresser drawers become a disorganized mess when kids get into them.
A smart back-to-school bedroom redesign includes revamping the closet so that kids can easily see and select their own clothing.
Between school, clubs and extra-curriculars, keeping your kid's life organized can be more difficult than managing your own. Instead of taking full charge of your children's schedule, place some of the responsibility on their shoulders. While you'll still need to oversee their schedule, your kids will surprise you with how well they can keep track of their responsibilities if given the proper tools.
Incorporate calendars, message boards and organizers into your child's bedroom redesign to help them keep track of homework, projects and equipment.
For the pre-school set, toys are meant to help kids develop fine motor skills and to learn basic concepts like colors, shapes and numbers. As kids grow up, many of their toys are meant purely for play rather than focused on education. While play sets that stimulate imaginative play are important, a redesigned bedroom should also include toys that give kids the opportunity to get practical experience in the math, science and social studies they're learning in school.
Along with their favorite dolls and action figures, stock your child's redesigned bedroom with education sets that hone logic skills and cognitive thinking.